Lock switch for flashlights



- Oct. 27, 1936. .1. F. MORAN lLOCK SWITCH FOR FLASHLIGHTS Filed ot. 19, 195:5

' INENTOR Joseph F M oran.

ATTORNEY lnmlmnm) iiilillllnll Patented Oct. 27, 1936 UNITED STATES LOCK SWITCH Fon FLASHLIGHTS Joseph F. Moran, Waterbury, Conn., assigner to Scovill Manufacturing Company, Waterbury,

Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application October 19, 1933, Serial No. 694,349

1 Claim.

This invention relates to electr-ic flashlights, and more particularly to an improved lock switch for controlling the current flow through a flashlight bulb.

One object of this invention is to provide a switch of the above nature having a movable contact which is actuated by a slidable and depressible push-button `,to permit the lamp bulb to be flashed on vmomentarily or mechanically held lighted for as long a period as may be desired.

A further object is to provide a flashlight switch of the above nature lhaving mechanism for positively locking the sliding 4push-button lin open-circuit position so as to prevent accidental prolonged closing of the switch.

A further object is to provide a flashlight of the above nature which will be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to assemble and manipulate, compact, ornamental in appearance, and very eilicient and durable in use.

With these and other objects inview there have been illustrated on the accompanying drawing two forms in which the invention may be conveniently embodied in practice.

In the drawing: l

Fig. l represents afragmentary View in elevation and partly in longitudinal section of a liash- 30"A light, showing the switch mechanism locked in pen-circuit position.

Fig. 2 is a face View of a ,portion of the casing, showing the first form of switch construction.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through 35i the same, showing the push-button in momentary depressed position.

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 3 with the switch mechanism latched in on or closed-circuit position.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a modied form of switch construction, showing the switch locked in open-circuit or off position.

Fig. 6 is a View similar to Fig. 5 with the switch in closed-circuit position.

Fig. 7 is a face View of the same.

Referring now to the drawing in which like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral I0 indicates a flashlight cattery casing having an ex ternally threaded closed upper end I I for receiving a head I 2 carrying the usual parabolic reflector I3, and a flat sided lens I4, the latter being seated on an annular shoulder I5 formed on the rim of the reflector I3 and held in place by a detachable lens ring I6 which is screwed upon the lupper part of said head I2. The head I2 also has the usual lower threaded section I I by means of which it may be adjustably screwed upon the upper section II of the casing'so as to permit longitudinal adjustment of the reflector I 3 with respect to a lamp bulb I8, the latter being screwed into a threaded metal socket I9 mounted upon `the adjacent, closed end I I of the casing I IJ. The lower end of the casing Ill is closed 'by the usual screw threaded ycap 23, which electrically connects the base terminal, of a series of dry cells 2| to the ,casing IIl, which in turn is electrically connected at the top with the lamp socket I 9.

The closed end I I of the casing I0 is provided with the usual' central vopening 22 throughwhich the center terminal 23 of the lamp bulb I8 extends into Contact with a downwardly ,offset angular conductor strip 24having ra downturned section 24a located adjacent the side wall of the casing and having a flexible lower end 21511 which forms the movable contact of the switch. The end Zlib is adapted to be forced Ainwardly by a push-button-operated spring strip 2,5 into` contact with the lower vinwardly offset vertical end 25 of an angular metallic strip l26a forming the stationary contact of the flashlight switch.

The horizontal upper section 21 of the angular strip 26a is bent' inwardly and offset downwardly at 28 into contact fWith ,they .upper cell terminal 29. The vertical member 26 is secured to the casing 'III yby an vinsulatingr eyelet 30 which also forms an anchorage for 'the lower end of the iiexible strip 2 5. It is also secured to the casing by an intermediate eyelet 30a. Thehorizontal section 2l of said 'angularstrip is .likewise joined by .an insulating eyelet 3.I to the upper .conductor strip 24, and to the closed end of the `casing, by ,an insulating eye1et`32. The strips 24a and 26a are insulated from each other by a strip of insulation 33 and the strip 24a is provided on its upper and outer sides with a protective strip of insulation 34. The insulating strip 33 terminates at a point considerably above the lower end of the strip 24h so as to produce a good electrical connection between the contacts of the switch when the push-button is operated. This construction is fully described in a prior Patent No. 1,894,606 to M. H. Bennett, dated January 17, 1933, and it will be clear that when such electrical connection is established, the circuit through the ilashlight lamp I8 will be closed.

In order to control the electric circuit including the lamp and batteries, provision is made of a depressible and slidable ball push-button 35 located within an aperture 36 formed in a raised 55 section 31 of an escutcheon plate 38 secured to the casing by the insulating eyelets 30 and 30a. 'I'he ball 35 is adapted to rest within an inwardly oiset seat 39 of the resilient spring strip 25 which rests against the lower end of the insulating strip 34 in alinement with the bottom extremity of the movable contact 24h. The push-button ball 35 is also guided by a sliding thumb piece 40 secured to the escutcheon plate by depending lugs 4i extending through slots 42 in said escutcheon plate. A locking plate 43 is located under the escutcheon plate for cooperating with the spring strip 25, and is connected to the thumb-piece 40 by means of the lugs 4I which pass therethrough, and are bent over to rigidly connect said locking plate 43 to said thumb-piece 40.

The middle sections of the thumb-piece 40 andy the locking plate 43 are provided with a pair of alined apertures 44 and 45 having their edges countersunk inwardly at 41 and 48 to form seats for the ball push-button loosely held therebetween.

The free end of the exible spring strip 25 terminates in an outwardly bent hook 48a which is adapted to obstruct the upper edge of the locking plate 43 and prevent upward longitudinal movement of the thumb-piece and ball until the hook 48 has been released therefrom by pressing the ball push-button 35 inwardly.

Operation In operation, assuming the flashlight is in the open-circuit condition as shown in Fig. l, if a temporary flash of the lamp is desired, it will only be necessary to manually depress the ball 35 and hold it in as long as the light is wanted. In this position, 'it will be clear that the hook 48a on the spring strip 25 will lie below the plane of the locking plate 43 (see Fig. 3).

If a more permanent light is desired, the thumb-piece may be slid upwardly by the operator to the position as shown in Fig. 4. In this position the ball 35 will lie in the high end section of the spring strip 25, thus automatically holding said strip 25 in its innermost position.

The lamp will then remain lighted until the switch is returned to off position by manually sliding the thumb-piece 40 downwardly.

Modified form In the modified form of the invention shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, the construction is similar to the first form shown in Figs. 1-4, except that a push-button member 49 in the form of a squarey cam is substituted for the ball 35, and a slidable thumb-piece 50 is provided, having a square hole 5| for accommodating said button 49. 'I'he inner portion of the push-button 49 is provided with a convex lobe 52 which is adapted to fit into the oilset section 53 of the spring strip 54. The function of the modied form of switch is similar in all respects to that of the rst formshown in Figs. 1-4. Thus, the cam push-button 49 is normally forced outwardly by reason of the resiliency of the spring strip 54, and said button 49 is limited in its outward movement by means of a pair of opposed shoulders 55, 55 of said button formed at an intermediate position, and which are adapted to abut against the inner edges of a pair of inturned lugs 56, 56 formed at the opposite` edges of the square hole 5I of the thuinb-piece 5D. The lugs 56, 56 also serve as a means for holding and guiding the push-button 49 when it is depressed.

It will be understood that when either form of flashlight is out of use, the danger oi accidental sliding of the thumb-piece to prolonged closed-circuit position by contact with exterior articles, as when the flashlight is carried in a bag or in the pocket, will be largely eliminated.

While there have been disclosed in this speciiication two forms in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that these forms are shown for the purpose of illustration i only, and that the invention is not to be limited to the specific disclosures but may be modied and embodied in Various other forms without departing from its spirit. In short, the invention includes all the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claim.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new, and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent, is:

In a flashlight having a casing, an electric lamp bulb, and a battery, switch mechanism for controlling the flow of current through ysaid bulb including a stationary contact on said casing. a movable contact member for engaging said stationary contact and closing the circuit through said bulb and battery, a thumb piece slidably mounted on the outside of said casing, a locking plate attached to said thumb piece and slidable within said casing, an upwardly extending spring strip secured at its bottom end to said casing and having a freely movable upper end in alinement with and insulated from said movable contact member, said strip having an outstanding hook on its free end for engaging the outer end of said locking plate to prevent accidental sliding of said thumb piece, and a depressible push-button carried by said thumb piece for moving said strip inwardly to light the bulb and to simultaneously release said hook from said locking plate to permit the thumb piece to be manually slid upwardly along said casing to permanent circuit-closed position.

JOSEPH F. MORAN. 

